Providing document services over networks is well known. In one example, a server receives document service requests from a variety of client machines, such as computer devices, network enabled copier machines, facsimile machines, scanner devices and other multi-function devices. Each of the machines, however, may use one or more different security infrastructures running on their respective operating systems. Since the server may not be preprogrammed to understand all of the different types of security mechanisms utilized by each of the client machines, each of the machines' respective security mechanisms may not be fully utilized. Therefore, in order for the server to communicate with the client machines to provide them with document services, the client machines' operating system's security features must be disabled.
Document service requests and associated documents transmitted through a network to the server in this example are at risk of being intercepted, viewed and/or modified by unauthorized persons. Also, when the server in this example receives such document service requests, the requests may include one or more Quality of Service (“QoS”) selections. QoS selections are specific options a user may request for the document services. The server fulfills the request and outputs the requested actions using one or more server-side machines, including facsimile machines, computer devices or storage facilities. For example, a QoS selection may include a user's request that a document be printed using a server-side printer on a special type of paper. Further, a QoS selection may include payment information such as a credit card number. Again, since the server is unable to utilize the security features provided by the various operating systems of the client-side machines, the security of the document service transactions are vulnerable to being compromised.
In particular, authentication of users to a network is often performed in distributed operating systems. For example, authenticating a user of a computer operating in a Windows® environment to a Windows® server through a network is well established. In contrast, authenticating a user across different operating systems (“Cross-OS”) could present significant challenges. Cross-OS authentication would require separate authentication methods between each pair of computers using one or more operating systems. This could result in numerous variations, however, of the same basic routine, increasing the size of the code required to perform the authentication and also increasing the probability of errors. Moreover, authentication over public networks (e.g., Internet), including homogenous and heterogenous networks, is difficult because of the potentially different scalabilities of the various operating systems operating on the network. Examples include a customer's client workstation and a vendor's server workstation operating on the same network. Therefore, it is readily apparent that a need exists for providing secure document services, including any QoS selections, for client-side machines using one or more types of operating systems.